The Aspirus Health Foundation recently announced a special gift from the Slayton family to establish the John A. and Elizabeth “Betty” D. Slayton Endowment Fund to honor the legacy of their parents to make life better for others locally and regionally.

John Slayton founded the Aspirus Health Foundation (formerly the Wausau Health Foundation) as a public charitable organization in 1971 to develop critical resources necessary to advance the health of our communities and increase health services for people in north central Wisconsin.

Slayton, (community leader, philanthropist, and former president of Marathon Electric Manufacturing Corporation), guided the work of the Health Foundation from 1971 until 1998. He helped pave the way for the Health Foundation to serve as facilitator of major funding for critical health care projects and services. This includes gifts to establish the Kronenwetter Clinic in 1977, capital support for the Bridge Clinic in 1995, Hospice House in 1998, Aspirus Medical Education Center in 2006, the Anya Marie Jackson Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Aspirus Wausau Hospital in 2009, the Traumatic Event Care Room and Program for Women in 2009, Hospice Music Therapy Program in 2011, Telemedicine Program in 2011, NICU Transport Service and Video Conference Enhancements in 2012 and 2013, breast cancer screening and sexual assault nurse examiner services in the past several years, and recently the Aspirus Scholars Program to address the impending medical provider shortage.    

He served on the Aspirus Wausau Hospital Board of Directors (formerly Wausau Hospital Center) and several hospital committees in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. During this same timeframe, Betty served as president of the Aspirus Volunteers and on multiple hospital committees. They were both dedicated to and instrumental in ensuring a strong local hospital and excellent regional health care system to enhance the health and well-being of people in our region.    

Their daughter Sarah Slayton shared at an event held on October 13, 2016, where the endowment was announced that “My parents raised seven children. They lived their lives with the belief that people have a responsibility to their family, company, and community. They modeled this for our family, and we are pleased to be able to establish an endowment in their names to continue their legacy of helping others in our community.”

When Tim Logemann, MD, cardiologist with Aspirus Cardiology, learned of the endowment in the Slayton name, he recalled that, “John Slayton and the Health Foundation provided start-up funding for our heart research program. I think John would be pleased to know that today the Aspirus Research Institute offers patients access to the most state-of-the-art treatment options involving medications, medical devices and other biotechnology options. Other heart centers in the country visit Aspirus to learn from us. I hope John would be proud of how his support has enabled an excellent research program right here in our community.”

“It is a privilege to continue the work that John and Betty Slayton started in our community 45 years ago to advance the health of our communities and increase health services in north central Wisconsin,” said Kalynn Pempek, executive director of the Aspirus Health Foundation. “The Aspirus Health Foundation Board of Directors is grateful for this gift to carry on the legacy of the Slayton’s in advancing the healing mission of Aspirus through philanthropy.”